WASHINGTON — A U.S. congressman warned yesterday that Canada, and in particular the enclave of "South Toronto," was a breeding ground for Islamic terrorists and that the United States will be under threat as long as passports are not required of all Canadians crossing the border.
"South Toronto, like those parts of London that are host to the radical imams who influenced the 9/11 terrorists and the shoe bomber, has people who adhere to a militant understanding of Islam," said John Hostettler, chairman of the House of Representatives subcommittee on immigration and border security, noting that Toronto has a very large South Asian community.
Later, when asked by reporters to describe "South Toronto" in greater detail, Mr. Hostettler said it was "a location which I understand is the type of enclave that allows for this radical type of discussion to go on."
As a matter of fact, I live in South Toronto – east side. The only enclave of Islamic activity I see on a regular basis is running up to the second floor flat because my crazy Somalian neighbours have yet to grasp that when the toilet overflows - one’s first course of action should be to turn off the water valve underneath the toilet tank, as opposed to their usual course of action, which is opening up the back door and sweeping the excess water out all the while praying for deliverance. Of course, the irony of having the “Jew Lady” (that’s their name for me) be an instrument of divine deliverance is probably lost on them.
Are there Muslims in my neighbourhood? Certainly. But there is also “Boytown” where the countdown for Pride Week has already begun and if it ever came to a showdown in the neighbourhood between the Gays and the Muslims; my money’s on the Gays carrying the day. Then there’s Cabbagetown, for all the double income middleclass pseudo-trendy professionals of no particular religious stripe or ethnicity. They are surrounded by the Tamils, Philippinos Jamaicans and Vietnamese. And let’s not forget the Russians enclave that has moved-in in recent years. A hotbed of radicalized Islamic activity – no; but crack dealers and illegal gun dealers make a good living.
It is obvious that the congressman doesn’t have either the slightest sense or geography for what is going on in Toronto, and I probably would have let it go with that, if he wasn’t trying to make the case that Americans are in physical peril from Canadian terrorists entering his country without valid Canadian passports. Someone needs to remind the good congressman that the 17 alleged terrorists arrested this past weekend were for the most part all Canadian citizens with squeaky clean records who would have been completely eligible for Canadian passports and legal entry into the United States. Of course, it also wouldn’t hurt to remind the good congressman that 2 of those 17 wannabe jihadi’s entered his country with the express purpose of purchasing handguns for the express purpose of killing our citizens, in our country, and not his.
I did wonder who was feeding Hostettler’s delusions until I read a little further one in the Globe and Mail's article:
Mr. Hostettler's views were backed by several witnesses to the committee, including David Harris, an Ottawa lawyer and senior fellow at the Canadian Coalition for Democracies who used to work for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. He was the only Canadian asked to appear before the committee.
Ottawa lawyer and former CSIS employee; do I really need to say any more?
7 comments:
What the hell is wrong with you, making sense like that?
In fact, if we are going to address terror head on and effectively, we had better be a whole lot smarter and a whole lot quieter.
As a rule, if we know about the strategies, they are going to be ineffective.
I'm here via Darcey.
My brother gets it, regarding the good Congressman's misunderstanding. He says the good congressman likely heard the term "Harbour Front" and believed it was a terrorist cell.
Ian that's classic!
Yep...its election year in tje US of Hey?
Typical BS from politicians representing East Butstretch or some such.
The dipshit probably picked it up from the precious bitch Hillary C. as she was mouthing off late in '01 about the same thing.
Its truly a shame that jackasses like this are entrusted with the legacy of the those men that drafted the US constitution.
We're an enclave all right, but I thought we were harboring ineffectual city councillors with big ambitions -- not terrorists.
Ian, I think your brother might be on to something.
Jim, I am blogging live from the enclave or breeding ground of radical Islamism in South Toronto. In fact, I live, work, play and blog from the heart of South Toronto and have done so for the last 11 years. Let me be blunt, the citizens of South Toronto are more likely to be the victim of gun play between rival gangs of crackdealers than we are from holy "warriors".
If you prefer to believe the rantings of this delusional congressman who wouldn't know the difference between downtown Calgary and South Toronto that is your perogative. Far be it for me to bust your willful denial bubble.
But pray tell, how exactly would Americans be made safer if Canadian citizens entered the United States used Canadian passports? Is the act of acquiring a Canadian passport magically preclude anyone from participating in a holy war against the "infidel" Americans? If I recall correctly, didn't the 19 Saudis enter the US legally to launch 9/11?
Furthermore, almost all of "homegrown" terrorists that were busted this past week in Canada would have easily been able to obtain a passport to enter the United States, hence the widespread usage of the term "homegrown".
Let's talk about our own holy warriors, they didn't want to launch jihad on the Americans but on the Canadians. Also it has been revealed that 2 of the Canadian mujahdeen legally entered the US (and could have entered on Canadian passports for all we know) with the express aim of legally purchasing weapons to be used against Canadians, hence, usage of the term homegrown.
This post wasn't about immigration and I don't have the time (nor the desire) to research what the CSIS testified before Parliament at this time. So let's accept what you say is so. But there is a vast difference between immigrants to Canada and refugees. It is an exceedingly difficult and tedious process to enter Canada legally as an immigrant contrary to the Hillary Clinton canard. Now the rules for Refugees are an entirely different matter and I would be the first person to stand up and say the Refugee process must be reformed in this country because as it stands now, we are putting the lives of everyone in our borders at potential risk. As a matter of fact, feel free to troll through my archives to see for yourself.
As far as the milleninum bomber goes, the man was in Canada legally as a potential refugee claimant and legally attempted to gain entry to the US. An alert US border guard decided to search his vehicle and voila; the jig was up. If he had a Canadian passport would it have made a difference? Absolutely not. The border guard became suspicious because of how the man was acting and responding to her questions but it nothing to do with his documentation or lack of.
Because I called the congressman on his outright promotion of a baldfaced lie you call me the nitpicker and suggest that I live in a state of denial? What does it make you Jim? Here's what I believe is probably the difference between you and I. I have seen the enemy, up front and personal, and I have lived to tell about it. Can you say the same Jim? For the record, he's not the Iranian Shia Muslim who runs my favourite pizza joint two short blocks down.
Ian,
And the darNed Harbour Front gets federal funding! I thought they outlawed funding terrorism in Canada!
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